Ateneo - UPO

The content of the integrated course covers: the epidemiological, clinical, and nursing care elements of the main internal medicine conditions, with a specific focus on pathologies leading to frailty and chronicity; general and targeted concepts of first aid interventions in life-threatening, time-critical emergency situations; the pathophysiology of the endocrine system and major endocrine-metabolic disorders, particularly regarding patient education, nutrition, and support in managing endocrine diseases; pharmacodynamics, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacotherapy; as well as the tools required to understand the molecular basis and patterns of inheritance of genetic disorders in humans.

Materials provided by the professor. Reference textbooks: Harrison, Internal Medicine, Rugarli, Medicina Interna, Cecil Textbook of Medicine, Ettore Bartoli, Medicina Interna. Camanni F. and Ghigo E Malattie del sistema endocrino e del metabolismo. Centro Scientifico Editore, III° edizione, Torino 2001. 2) Per approfondimenti: Patricia E Molina. Fisiologia Endocrina. Lange Physiology Series (McGraw-Hill).

Upon successful completion of the course, students will: Understand the epidemiology and principles of prevention of medical conditions associated with internal medicine; Master the classification and systematic description of the most common internal medicine diseases; Recognize life-threatening situations immediately and know the life support (BLS) maneuvers to be implemented; Understand the role of the endocrine-metabolic system in controlling general body functions and homeostasis, focusing on the main endocrine and glucose-lipid metabolic diseases and syndromes, including their epidemiology, pathophysiological basis, clinical presentation, and therapeutic outlines; Acquire fundamental knowledge and understand the issues surrounding pharmacological treatment in major human diseases through theoretical concepts and practical examples of therapeutic activity, pharmacokinetics, side effects, and toxicity of relevant drug classes encountered in clinical practice, applicable to patient populations supported by professional healthcare educators; Develop the necessary tools to understand the molecular basis and patterns of inheritance of genetic disorders in humans, as well as the concept of genetic counseling for patients and families.

The required knowledge includes notions of biology, chemistry, anatomy, human physiology

Lectures and class discussion.

Students with physical disabilities, Learning Disabilities or Special Education Needs can request specific services and tools via the Staff Sviluppo e Coordinamento Carriere e Servizi alle Studentesse e agli Studenti, consulting the University webpage: https://www.uniupo.it/en/services/services- students-physical-or-learning-disabilities Students with disabilities, learning disabilities or special education needs, once they have contacted the University Staff, can refer to the tutor in charge of the course to define the examination modalities, concerning academic aspects. Gender mainstreaming: approaches to grant equal benefits in actions and activities for women and mens and for eliminating gender inequalities.

Written test with multiple choice.

Physiopathology, clinical manifestations and complications of cardiovascular diseases, chronic articular disorders, respiratory diseases and principal infectious diseases. The chronic liver diseases. Management of elderly and frail patients.
Concepts of emergency and urgency. Notes on anatomy and physiology of the human body. Main cardiological, neurological and traumatological emergency pathologies. Principles of basic life support.
General mechanisms of endocrine-metabolic pathophysiology. Mechanisms of hormonal action (classes of hormones and hormone receptors, termination systems of hormonal action). Hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Pathophysiology of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis. Secreting and non-secreting pituitary adenomas. Posterior pituitary, Diabetes insipidus. Thyroid: Hypothyroidism, Hyperthyroidism, endemic and sporadic Goiter, The thyroid nodule, Thyroiditis, Thyroid tumors Adrenals: Hypoadrenalism, Hypercorticoadrenalism. Gonads: Pathophysiology of testicular function and ovary, Pathophysiology and clinic of male and female hypogonadism Endocrine pancreas. Pathophysiology and clinic of diabetes mellitus. Metabolic syndrome. Phospho-calcium homeostasis: Pathophysiology of phospho-calcium homeostasis, Hypoparathyroidism and Primary and secondary hyperparathyroidism, Postmenopausal osteoporosis. Endocrine regulation of body weight and Obesity. Chronobiology and endocrine system. Endocrine problems with different etiopathogenesis.
Principles of Pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, administration, variability in individual response to the drug, adverse reactions to drugs, interactions between drugs, drugs and natural products, drugs and foods. Drugs for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological diseases: drugs for Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease, hypnotic sedatives, anxiolytics, antidepressants, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers. Treatment of pain: FANS, opioid analgesics, neuropathic pain. General principles of drug addiction. Therapy of metabolic/endocrine and autoimmune diseases: diabetes, dyslipidemia, osteoporosis, asthma and more. The elderly in therapy: anticoagulant drugs, platelet, fibrinolytic, antihypertensive and cardiovascular. Principles of oncological and antimicrobial therapy, toxicity and drug interactions.
The human genome. Chromosome structure. Cell reproduction: mitosis and meiosis. Numerical and structural variations of the karyotype (polyploidy, aneuploidy, translocations, deletions and duplications). The Mendelian laws and its applications. Human Mendelian genetics: interpretation of genealogical t- rees, monogenic diseases and blood group genetics. Sex chromosomes and sex determination. Recombination. Study of quantitative and multifactorial characters and complex diseases.

Knowledge and understanding: Knowledge and comprehension of the theorical basis of the most prevalent non surgical conditions, of their physiology and of the management of patients.
Recognize the main emergency situations and provide first aid safely.
Recognize, describe, diagnose the most common endocrine-metabolic diseases inserted in a context of chronic diseases with pluri-morbidity and morbidity.
Knowledge and understanding of the main groups of drugs, as well as the relationship between desired and unwanted effects.
Learn the basics about the structure and organization of the human genetic material and the laws that regulates its transmission in the families.
Ability to apply knowledge and understanding:
Application of the principles of clinical reasoning to a specific clinical case, choosing the most common diagnostic procedures, analyzing and interpreting the results, in an effective and efficient way.
It is essential that the student learns the correct modalities of clinical reasoning in endocrinology, applying the method of differential diagnoses.
Critical ability to address the topics transversally and to place knowledge in the context in which the professional educator operates, and the ability to understand the correct therapeutic use of the main active ingredients.
Finally, students are also expected to acquire correct communication skills in the topics under study.